Water-current motor



(No Model.)

G. R. BRIGGS.

WATER CURRENT MOTOR. No. 433,165. Patented July 29, 1890.

lNVENTOB I (1001' e12. Dr! J,

7 BY ATTY'S.

Arm/

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. DRIGGS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

WATER-CURRENT MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,165, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed August 16, 1889- Serial No. 320,952. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. DRIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, hax e invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vater- Current Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a motor embodying myimprovements, and Fig. 2 a top or plan view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.

This invention relates to that class of water-motors in which the power is derived from the force of the current of a running stream, the object being to obtain better results than has been previously secured, and to render the motor more cifective than those heretofore devised.

The invention consists in the improved motor and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof, as hereinafter set forth, and finally pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the frame-work of a stationary pier erected in the bed of a stream of water. 13 represents a revolving drum or cylinder supported upon said pier.

C represents an endless belt or chain carrying buckets D, and E represents a revolving drum supported upon a suitable frame F, erected upon a float G, made in sections hinged to one another, as at II. The power obtained by the current is transmitted from the motor by means of a pulley or drum I. The endless belt passes around the drums B and E, the former being upon a higher level than the latter, as indicated in Fig. l. The upper portion of the belt is prevented from sagging by means of rollers a, supported by posts h set in the float G, and the lower portion is supported for the same purpose by means of short rollers or cogs o, secured to the inner sides of the float at suitable distances from one another and projecting inward-far enough to engage the edges of said belt, as will be understood upon reference to the figures of the drawings. In order to prevent said roller from interfering or coming in contact with the buckets, the latter do not extend to the edges of the belt, but are enough shorter than the width of said belt to insure the free passage of said buckets, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 2. The upper end or section of the float passes between and beyond the upright timbers or posts of the pier, said float being thereby p revented from any undue swaying or vibration which might otherwise be occasioned by the force or course of the current, as will be understood. The float, being made in comparatively short sections hinged together, is far less rigid than if made whole, and therefore the better accommodates itself to the roughness of the water, as will be obvious.

The belt and buckets are designed when in operation to sink below the surface of the water to a depth, say, about equal to the depth of the buckets, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the force of the current will not be impeded, but will be exerted as nearly alike as possible upon all the buckets, which is regarded as an important feature.

The section of the float which passes between the timbers of the pier is designed to move freely between said timbers, so that said float may rise and fall with the waterin cases where the depth of the stream from time to time is variable.

The sections of the float which carry the drum E and the belt C, owing to the increased weight of said parts, should be made of correspondingly-heavier timbers than the other sections in order to prevent them from sinking deeper in the water than the latter by reason thereof, or the same result may be obtained by attaching weights e to the lighter sections, as will be understood. Said sections are also stayed and held together by means of bars (1, preferably of metal and curved upwardly, in order to allow the belt to pass unimpeded under the same, as will be apparent. The length of the float can be increased indefinitely by additional sections in order to obtain increased power, as will be manifest.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The Watercurrent motor herein described, combining therein a stationary pier, a revolving drum supported in a fixed position on said pier, a movable self-adjusting float made in sections hinged to one another, a revolving drum carried by said float, and an endless chain or belt carrying buckets and connecting said float with said pier, as described, said parts being combined and arranged With relation to one another and .operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a Water-current motor, the combinationof a movable self-adjusting float madein sections hinged to one another, and a revolving drum carried by one of said sections and In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 30 have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of August, 1889.

GEO. R. DRIGGS. W'itnesses:

OLIVER DRAKE, E. L. SHERMAN. 

